Autumn Changes

 Fall, in those parts of the world where it REALLY happens, is such an obvious weather change.  Leaves change color. Temperatures slowly drop, as do those colorful leaves.  Here in Szeged we also have tons of chestnut trees, and have discovered that fall is also chestnut season, when the spiky shell around the nut falls and release their treasure.  Walks now always include children gathering chestnuts until their pockets bulge and can hold no more.  We’ve also learned to beware, as a falling chestnut still in it’s spiky shell can really, really hurt when it falls on your head!

And as the season changes, so do daily routines; as the slow and relaxed days of summer give way to alarm clocks, school schedules, soccer practices, art classes, etc…      Josiah is now a ‘big kid’, a First Grader in the Hungarian school system.  We’ve also entered into Home schooling in the afternoons to cover English and some American history.  This is our first year of real serious Home Schooling, in times past we’ve done lots of Phonics practice and games, but it’s never been really organized.  Many thanks to the Osaki family for sending us the school books!

We’re also packing away the summer clothes and dragging out boxes of last year’s winter clothes; and then being amazed at how much each child, Anna especially, has grown so much from April to September!  So much for getting some more wear out of Anna’s older clothes.

This fall also sees us getting back into a more conventional family schedule, with Norbi off most mornings for a new part-time job he’s taken installing cable modems for internet access.  His new job has really been an amazing gift from the Lord.  Besides helping us financially, it’s still very flexible hours, allowing for ministry and church meetings.  He also gets to be out there meeting people every day as he installs their modems. And there are days here and there when he has no installations, which we usually take advantage of and do the weekly major grocery shopping, or he gets to putter around the house on the ongoing improvements, the current project being a complete rewiring.

All in all, we’re really enjoying and reveling in this return to routine and schedules, and all the new events we have to fit into our days and weeks.  We desire to glorify God in all we do, even those little day to day things.  It’s often just in living as unto the Lord that we can make the biggest witness for Him to those around us—not always the ‘holy’ and church things, but real life lived In and Through His Grace. 

                        Joshi, Anna, a donkey and Josiah at a petting zoo in July.       And Josiah the First Grader.

Summer Happenings

Where has the summer gone?    As I sit to write I realize that our last newsletter was a spring edition, so apologize for not sending one out this summer, but we were busy, and so much happened, that I have to take some room from our ‘fall’ letter and share some cool events.   

The first exciting event happened at the end of June, when Margaret Parker, from our home church in Simi Valley, came to visit for two weeks.  Margaret was with a group of friends vacationing and touring Italy, and couldn’t come to Europe without doing something with ‘missions’ - and so, she visited us!  It was a squeeze, (Anna and Joshi shared a bed and she had Anna’s bed) but such a blessing.  We could not have been more encouraged or uplifted by her visit.  

God had the timing perfect, of course—for Margaret’s visit.  Here comes some big news of the summer—CC Szeged has a new home—their very own church building, all theirs, only theirs!  Well, we got the keys to start the major cleaning and painting jobs needed the last week of June—while Margaret was here!  And she really dove right in to painting and just whatever was needed—and so many in the church were deeply impressed that a visitor, not even a church member, would work so hard.   Her hard work really inspired many to keep at it!  More on the building in its own section.

There was no chicken pox this summer—so we got to attend the first SOUTHERN Hungarian Family Camp, first since the ALL Hungarian CC Conf. was just getting too big—it was one of those bittersweet growing pain moments.  The Calvary Chapels in Baja, Tompa, Kaposvar and Szeged got together for the week of July 29th to August 3rd.  Plans had been to have the conference at the new CC conf. center at Vajta, Hungary—but in the spring they let everyone know that it would not be ready for conferences this summer.  A mad dash was made to find a location for ours.  We ended up having the first CC conference on the beautiful island in the Danube river in Baja.  Our summer conferences are always such blessed times of fellowship, and after missing them last year, we were especially blessed to attend this summer.  We were disappointed to miss the Missions’ Conf. in Austria this summer, but had a fun ‘family week’ here in Szeged—taking the kids to the local zoo, to McDonalds and a movie.

Also in July Rachel got a ministry opportunity dropped in her lap.  A man we had met over a year ago on a train from Budapest called out of the blue to see if Rachel would meet with his daughter to help her practice talking in English.  Agi, a college student in town, came twice a week in July and a few times in August before taking time off for studying for some big exams and a family vacation.  Once she has her new fall schedule figured out, Agi will be coming over again.  Basically she just needs someone to speak in English with, to give her valuable practice in real conversations.  Due to the amazing circumstances of how this all came about, we don’t doubt God’s hand in it—please pray that we can be a witness to this family.  This has also got Rachel thinking of doing more in the area of ‘speaking English’ with gals, something many are willing to pay for—so offering it free would be such an opportunity for outreach and building relationships. We’ll keep you updated on Agi and these possibilities.

Kids News and Update

We already mentioned that Josiah has started 1st grade in the public school here, and so far, that’s going great.  Both boys’ Hungarian is really great—we ask every day if he (Siah) could understand everything—and so far he’s only not known a few words, usually nouns that aren’t used everyday.  Josiah loves school, as well as the Soccer practices he now attends and his favorite—an Art Class every Tuesday afternoon.

  Joshi’s now in the ‘Big’ Kindergarten class, in Siah’s room from last year.  His favorite part of the week are the two days of Music Lessons his whole class started this year.  And Joshi still loves to help me cook, as well as becoming quite the Daddy’s Helper in our many house improvement projects.

  Anna has ceased to be our little girl, and for the past several months has been some sort of animal for most of each day—going about on all fours, often meowing or roaring instead of talking.  It was cute at first, but has quickly gotten rather annoying.  Neither boys took pretend play to such lengths.  We hope this only means we have a very creative child—maybe an artist or something someday?  She’s also taking being a girl very seriously—lately only ‘pink, purple or yellow’ clothes and objects are good for her—as those are ‘her colors’.  There have even been tears because the preschool she’ll be attending soon is not painted pink, but orange!

  We mentioned the Home schooling earlier, and that’s really proving so much fun for me—and a learning experience.  I wasn’t taught how to read by phonics, and both Norbi and I have been so amazed at how simple it is.  Norbi wishes they would teach foreigners learning English the basic rules we’re been teaching our boys.

  Lastly, we told you all in the Spring about our first family pet, Buttercup the bunny.  He’s still so much fun and very well loved.  We got him ‘fixed’ this summer, or ‘broken’ as we joke—he’s gotten way fat and lazy since then!  We tried to get him a friend this summer, a tiny brown dwarf rabbit we named Dinky.  We recently gave Dinky to some friends—he just wasn’t working as a ‘house rabbit’.  We’re shopping now for that special friend for Buttercup—rabbits are very social creatures, and he really did enjoy Dinky.  Hopefully a new bunny will stop the puppy talk of our kids!

  CC Szeged’s First and Own Real Home!

This summer God provided for Calvary Chapel Szeged to have it’s very own building; all ours, all day, every day of the week, for the very first time in the church’s ten year history!  It’s been a very exciting event, and such a blessing for the whole church body.  We’re renting out what was once a Pool Hall on a side street fairly close to downtown, and nice and close to public transportation options.  There’s one big room for the sanctuary, a kid’s room with two great big windows, and a nice big entry room with an old bar that we’ve turned into a bookstore and coffee/donuts/ snacks table before and after services.  We’re also now able to have monthly food and fellowship times, as well as more meetings during the week.  Thank You Jesus!

Praise Reports and Prayer Requests

“Is anyone of you in trouble?  He should pray.  Is anyone happy?  Let him sing songs of praise…

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”  James 5:13 & 16b

Praise Reports:

 - Rachel’s one year visa came through!  She’s finally all legal—until March at least.

 - Norbi’s part time job in computers is so perfect, helping us financially and still allowing for ministry!

 - Both boys’ Hungarian is super.

 - Josiah began 1st grade in the Hungarian public schools, and LOVES it.

 - After a hard summer with new allergies and several outbreaks of hives, Anna is finding relief on Claritin, an allergy medicine.  Still very dry skin, but so much better.

Prayer Requests:

 - We still need Rachel’s residency visa to come through, hopefully before her one year visa expires.  Please pray for it to pass quickly through the bureaucracy.

 - Rachel and Anna’s Hungarian—it’s so wonderful to not need to ask for prayer for the boys any longer—now it’s just the females (and the most talkative members) in this family who need to learn Hungarian!

 - Our trip to the States next summer—for the finances to make it possible, for God to provide someone to replace Norbi in the church and someone to house/car/rabbit sit for us while we’re gone.

 - Worship—that Norbi would stay sensitive to the Spirit’s leading in choosing new songs to introduce, that worship can stay fresh.  For wisdom in possibly adding more people and instruments to the worship team and for God to raise up a Hungarian worship leader

 - Please pray for Kriszta, Csaba, Máté and Beni—the family we have been reaching out to.  This summer Kriszta has taken a job that’s schedule has made getting together very difficult.  Pray that Csaba can find a job, as he longs to provide for his family.  And that Rachel and Kriszta, plus Siah and Máté can spend time together again.  Pray for their salvation most of all.

 - Wisdom for Rachel as she does some home schooling with the kids, mostly teaching both boys to read in English, spelling, etc.. And some American History.  If you have any old home school books for grades K-2, or some great beginner reader books plus history books, we’d so appreciate anything you could spare.  Phonics flash cards are also needed.

 - Please pray that God would use us as lights in our neighborhood and community. As we begin to meet more of Josiah’s new classmates’ parents, and continue to see the parent’s of Joshi’s classmates; for the old ladies who sell produce and flowers near our home; as well as  the nice old gentleman who is often out doing yard work.